Putting the pieces together on Johnny Pride

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

What’s going on with the Johnny Pride case? Why was he arrested and placed in the slammer on $500k bail only to be released the next day?

An anonymous emailer speculates:

It is generally the policy of the LA District Attorney and LASD SVB to not arrest people for statutory rape until confirming DNA evidence is gathered and processed. Based upon the timeline of the complaint this DNA evidence would have been available sometime one to two weeks ahead of the actual election or maybe even after the election.

The SVB detectives, perhaps not understanding local politics very well, had a Patrick Fitzgerald moment. Like the intrepid US Attorney from Chicago who felt he needed to act quickly to stop Ron Blagoavich from selling a Senate seat, the detectives worried they would be savaged for letting someone under an active investigation for rape get elected to the City Council. So they arrested JP quicker than normal.

On Friday, bureaucratic laziness kicked in. Someone in the DA’s office said to release him because the arrest had come too soon. The LASD, knowing this would cause them pain, decided to pin it on the DA saying the DA had “dismissed” the case for insufficient evidence.

As this was getting ALL over local media the spokesperson for the DA’s office backtracked and said they could not confirm the actual dismissal. There will be a flurry of activity on Monday (3-8) and a probable arrest warrant issued.

This is all speculation and should be treated as such. But it sounds like a possible, if not plausible, scenario to me.

Comments (9)

Kevin D. KorenthalMarch 8, 2010 at 10:18 am

I agree Jeff, plausible and possible but at this point unprovable. I’ll state ahead of the facts that: A. If the evidence points to guilt, I am going to support the strongest possible charges against him. B. If this was all made up, I will make it my business to find out who orchestrated this fabrication and find out to what extent the unnamed girls involved in the alleged assault are culpable in this matter.

BrianMarch 8, 2010 at 1:25 pm

One could say these Hollywood girls learned their lines and delivered an award winning performance. They were TOO good! Or the SOB is guilty and should be horsewhipped. That’s why we have a system of justice. Hmmm. Elections, Republicans and the legal system. Where have I seen this before?

Mark LandersMarch 8, 2010 at 2:30 pm

Access to JP’s apt was possible, sometimes routinely, other than through JP.

WalkerMarch 8, 2010 at 3:49 pm

Having the unfortunate experience of being in a similar investigation as a teen, I’m going to assume that the girls were for sure in the apartment. You are basically asked to describe the location in detail. Every last bit of it down to what magazines you might have seen on the coffee table. If the police say that interviews w/the girls lead them to believe the girls had been into the apartment, I believe they were there. That’s not to say he’s guilty, but I maintain that 26YOs having any sort of social relationship with 14YOs is multiple degrees of creepy.

damangeincMarch 8, 2010 at 6:27 pm

HAHA MarkL Johnny Pride is always the victim. 1. His Website was Hacked. 2. His Myspace was Hacked. 3. Someone used his phone to text 14 year old girls 4. Someone else gave these girls access to his apartment so they could memorize what it looks like. 5. Someone else coached these girls to tell the perfect story to frame him. I think you watch to much TV.

Jill's FriendMarch 8, 2010 at 7:39 pm

I think Jeff’s got it exactly right. The local Sheriff’s office employees are engaging in political activities while on duty. One can’t blame them. They are human. Back about 8 years ago Councilwoman Jill Klajic decided not to run for re-election to the Santa Clarita City Council. She publicly said that her reason was the negativity and verbal abusiveness of a certain big fat city council person. She said the psychological abuse was just not worth it. Several years later, when she was not involved in local politics, Ms. Klajic discovered that her well know, beautiful, drug addicted adult daughter was incredibly high. The daughter had physical custody of Jill’s young grandson. Ms. Klajic phoned L.A. County’s child welfare officials to find out what she should do as a grandmother worried about the safety of her grandchild. The L.A. County employees told her: (1) Keep physical custody of the kid; (2) Come in on X date and we will work with you to take custody away from the daughter; and (3) Tell the daughter you have the child and what is going on. Ms. Klajic did all of that, and placed the child in a paid daycare facility during the day while she was at work. Somehow two Sheriff’s Department deputies who were “friends of the fat guy” got wind of what had happened. They went out of the Santa Clarita station’s jurisdiction, into the San Fernando Valley, and they pulled over Ms. Klajic’s car and arrested her, claiming she had kidnapped the grandchild. She was literally hauled off to the jail in Valencia. Somehow, The Signal immediately learned what was going on, and showed up trying to see Ms. Klajic in the lock up. Skip Newhall bailed out Ms. Klajic. When the truth came out the charges were dropped. Sheriff Baca personally phoned Ms. Klajic and apologized for the conduct of his deputies. This little exercise cost Ms. Klajic more than $10,000 in legal fees and frankly broke her heart, because she realized that even though she was a ZERO political threat to the fat councilman and his friends, she and her grandson were not safe living in Santa Clarita, even though the child’s mother was a junkie. So Jill moved away. This Johnny Pride is a nobody. I would be surprised if he got 500 votes in the April city council election. However, it’s pretty clear that somebody at the Sheriff’s station is politically minded, and perhaps worried that in a close election, ANY votes for Johnny Pride are votes which could swing the election to one or other candidate. I have no idea if the arrest and jailing of this Johnny Pride person was against Sheriff’s Department written policy. However, it’s clearly not the first time politics influenced local Sheriff’s department deputies actions.

damageincMarch 8, 2010 at 7:58 pm

Jill’s Friend – that sucks I will tell you that in this case it was handled by the “Special Vicitims” unit from down in Los Angeles. Anytime an investigation involving children it goes to this unit. Everything was standard protocol. I got confirmation that DNA is 1 to 3 weeks. If JP is arrested again it will be because the DA had a DNA match. Ultimately if I was JP and I didn’t do anything, I wouldn’t worry you are pretty much in the clear. If he did what these 2 girls are claiming… GAME OVER.

Mark LandersMarch 9, 2010 at 8:53 am

DamageInc, what’s this about your confirmation “that DNA is 1 to 3 weeks” when the SIgnal article now says that they “are looking into the possibility of DNA… possible DNA could be retrieved.” They haven’t even “retrieved” any? The article makes it sound as though they haven’t started yet! Those comments by Sgt Scott are different from what most of us had thought. Something isn’t right there. I personally hope that your “confirmation” is correct so that this can more quickly be put behind us.

ms.klajics daughter's friendMarch 12, 2010 at 8:12 pm

I know Jill Klajic Personally and I was there when the incident happened between her and her daughter.Lets get one thing straight that girl was abused by Ms. Jill Klajic her entire life I have witnessed that with my own eyes.When Jill Klajic doesn’t get what she wants she is an evil bitch. Well her daughter decided not to live with Jill anymore but didn’t have any money to move she went to her son’s other grandmother’s home. Now I helped her and I was with her the entire time Rebecca Klajic was not on drugs nor has she ever done any drugs she doesn’t even drink.Jill made all of this up to ruin Rebecca’s credibility so that Rebecca would not tell the public the truth about Jill Klajic. I remember when I was a teen and I went to the Klajic house to visit Jill beat both her daughters so badley Rebecca had blood dripping down the back of her legs because Jill had hit her repeatedly with a wired hanger so hard she made lacerations all over the back of her thighs and Robin had them all over the back of her hands from trying to block with her hands.I called my mom who then called the police. Of course that woman talked her way out of it and believe it or not this beating happened simply because the girls were fighting over a toy. Now believe me there’s so much those girls haven’t told about that woman because they fear for there lives and now their own childrens lives. But before anybody should say something bad about either one of Jill’s daughters and defend that evil Jill Klajic you should know the facts. Whoever Jill’s friend is your a complete idiot and don’t know what the hell your talking about Jill is a control freak who was flexing her muscles to scare her daughter. She couldn’t stand that her daughter was going against her.

Kevin D. KorenthalMarch 8, 2010 at 10:18 am
I agree Jeff, plausible and possible but at this point unprovable. I’ll state ahead of the facts that: A. If the evidence points to guilt, I am going to support the strongest possible charges against him. B. If this was all made up, I will make it my business to find out who orchestrated this fabrication and find out to what extent the unnamed girls involved in the alleged assault are culpable in this matter.
BrianMarch 8, 2010 at 1:25 pm
One could say these Hollywood girls learned their lines and delivered an award winning performance. They were TOO good! Or the SOB is guilty and should be horsewhipped. That’s why we have a system of justice. Hmmm. Elections, Republicans and the legal system. Where have I seen this before?
Mark LandersMarch 8, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Access to JP’s apt was possible, sometimes routinely, other than through JP.
WalkerMarch 8, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Having the unfortunate experience of being in a similar investigation as a teen, I’m going to assume that the girls were for sure in the apartment. You are basically asked to describe the location in detail. Every last bit of it down to what magazines you might have seen on the coffee table. If the police say that interviews w/the girls lead them to believe the girls had been into the apartment, I believe they were there. That’s not to say he’s guilty, but I maintain that 26YOs having any sort of social relationship with 14YOs is multiple degrees of creepy.
damangeincMarch 8, 2010 at 6:27 pm
HAHA MarkL Johnny Pride is always the victim. 1. His Website was Hacked. 2. His Myspace was Hacked. 3. Someone used his phone to text 14 year old girls 4. Someone else gave these girls access to his apartment so they could memorize what it looks like. 5. Someone else coached these girls to tell the perfect story to frame him. I think you watch to much TV.
Jill's FriendMarch 8, 2010 at 7:39 pm
I think Jeff’s got it exactly right. The local Sheriff’s office employees are engaging in political activities while on duty. One can’t blame them. They are human. Back about 8 years ago Councilwoman Jill Klajic decided not to run for re-election to the Santa Clarita City Council. She publicly said that her reason was the negativity and verbal abusiveness of a certain big fat city council person. She said the psychological abuse was just not worth it. Several years later, when she was not involved in local politics, Ms. Klajic discovered that her well know, beautiful, drug addicted adult daughter was incredibly high. The daughter had physical custody of Jill’s young grandson. Ms. Klajic phoned L.A. County’s child welfare officials to find out what she should do as a grandmother worried about the safety of her grandchild. The L.A. County employees told her: (1) Keep physical custody of the kid; (2) Come in on X date and we will work with you to take custody away from the daughter; and (3) Tell the daughter you have the child and what is going on. Ms. Klajic did all of that, and placed the child in a paid daycare facility during the day while she was at work. Somehow two Sheriff’s Department deputies who were “friends of the fat guy” got wind of what had happened. They went out of the Santa Clarita station’s jurisdiction, into the San Fernando Valley, and they pulled over Ms. Klajic’s car and arrested her, claiming she had kidnapped the grandchild. She was literally hauled off to the jail in Valencia. Somehow, The Signal immediately learned what was going on, and showed up trying to see Ms. Klajic in the lock up. Skip Newhall bailed out Ms. Klajic. When the truth came out the charges were dropped. Sheriff Baca personally phoned Ms. Klajic and apologized for the conduct of his deputies. This little exercise cost Ms. Klajic more than $10,000 in legal fees and frankly broke her heart, because she realized that even though she was a ZERO political threat to the fat councilman and his friends, she and her grandson were not safe living in Santa Clarita, even though the child’s mother was a junkie. So Jill moved away. This Johnny Pride is a nobody. I would be surprised if he got 500 votes in the April city council election. However, it’s pretty clear that somebody at the Sheriff’s station is politically minded, and perhaps worried that in a close election, ANY votes for Johnny Pride are votes which could swing the election to one or other candidate. I have no idea if the arrest and jailing of this Johnny Pride person was against Sheriff’s Department written policy. However, it’s clearly not the first time politics influenced local Sheriff’s department deputies actions.
damageincMarch 8, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Jill’s Friend – that sucks I will tell you that in this case it was handled by the “Special Vicitims” unit from down in Los Angeles. Anytime an investigation involving children it goes to this unit. Everything was standard protocol. I got confirmation that DNA is 1 to 3 weeks. If JP is arrested again it will be because the DA had a DNA match. Ultimately if I was JP and I didn’t do anything, I wouldn’t worry you are pretty much in the clear. If he did what these 2 girls are claiming… GAME OVER.
Mark LandersMarch 9, 2010 at 8:53 am
DamageInc, what’s this about your confirmation “that DNA is 1 to 3 weeks” when the SIgnal article now says that they “are looking into the possibility of DNA… possible DNA could be retrieved.” They haven’t even “retrieved” any? The article makes it sound as though they haven’t started yet! Those comments by Sgt Scott are different from what most of us had thought. Something isn’t right there. I personally hope that your “confirmation” is correct so that this can more quickly be put behind us.
ms.klajics daughter's friendMarch 12, 2010 at 8:12 pm
I know Jill Klajic Personally and I was there when the incident happened between her and her daughter.Lets get one thing straight that girl was abused by Ms. Jill Klajic her entire life I have witnessed that with my own eyes.When Jill Klajic doesn’t get what she wants she is an evil bitch. Well her daughter decided not to live with Jill anymore but didn’t have any money to move she went to her son’s other grandmother’s home. Now I helped her and I was with her the entire time Rebecca Klajic was not on drugs nor has she ever done any drugs she doesn’t even drink.Jill made all of this up to ruin Rebecca’s credibility so that Rebecca would not tell the public the truth about Jill Klajic. I remember when I was a teen and I went to the Klajic house to visit Jill beat both her daughters so badley Rebecca had blood dripping down the back of her legs because Jill had hit her repeatedly with a wired hanger so hard she made lacerations all over the back of her thighs and Robin had them all over the back of her hands from trying to block with her hands.I called my mom who then called the police. Of course that woman talked her way out of it and believe it or not this beating happened simply because the girls were fighting over a toy. Now believe me there’s so much those girls haven’t told about that woman because they fear for there lives and now their own childrens lives. But before anybody should say something bad about either one of Jill’s daughters and defend that evil Jill Klajic you should know the facts. Whoever Jill’s friend is your a complete idiot and don’t know what the hell your talking about Jill is a control freak who was flexing her muscles to scare her daughter. She couldn’t stand that her daughter was going against her.